The new Castlegar Bike Park has been four years in the making and Adam Pomery, who’s overseen the construction as a member of the Castlegar Parks and Trails Society, says it’s a work of art.
As the co-owner of Cycology, Castlegar’s new bike store, Pomery knows a lot about bicycles and he believes that no matter how skilled you are, or what style of rider you are, there is most definitely something for you to enjoy at the park. “It’s over three acres, which makes it the largest in the entire Kootenay region,” he says. “And it has everything from dirt jumps and a flow track to a pump track and a lumber drop in.” The latter is made up of over $15,000 worth of wood and he says it’s one of the most aesthetic bike-related structures in the province.
The land for the bike park was donated by the City of Castlegar and is built on the foundation of the old drive-in theatre. Even with the acreage donation, it’s been an expensive undertaking, though. So far approximately $150,000 has been spent building the park and another $80,000 worth of development is slated for the next few years says Pomery. Most of those funds came from donations and grants and as a result, locals and visitors alike have one of the most advanced bike parks to enjoy from Spring to late fall.
There are varying levels of each track at the new bike park so beginners can enjoy trying to hop off the smaller jumps while experts can hit the larger ones and practice their “tailwhip” and “superman” stunts. “This park isn’t just for kids who want to come out and hit jumps,” Pomery says. “You can come out here and just flow around with any bike. There’s parts of the park where you don’t need an expensive bicycle to ride. You can just have fun.”
For more information about the park, visit the Castlegar Parks and Trails Society.